Conveyer for preliminary drying of short macaroni



Jan. 19, 1932. s, BUCARO 1,842,245

UONVEYER FOR PRELIMINARY DRYI-NG OF SHORT MACARONI Filed July 29, 1929 PZ'Shees-Sheet l Jan. 19, 1932. BUcARo 1,842,245

GONVEYER FOR PRELIMINARY DRYING OF SHORT MACARONI Filed July 29, 1929 v 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 QM f A a.- Z-ICEE, i4 5% 7mm-0R BY, Salz/afa 26am ATTORNEY I Patented Jan. 1 9, 1932 dUNITED STATES vra'rlaN'r OFFICE MAABONJ; MACHINE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION F NEW 'YORK coNvEYnn non PRELIMINARY DBYI'NG or snon'r micnnom Application' filed July 29,

thereof, reference will be had to the follow-J ing description andaccompany-ing drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the `accompanying drawings forming a N material part of this disclosure Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a device constructed according to this inveniion, seen as though taken on the line 1.--1 of Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken-on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary plan view of Figf.

2 looking in thedirection of the line 3--3 o l this gure.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on theA line 4 -4 o f Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the device, seen from the supply end.

Flg. 6 isa vertical sectional vlew taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the de'- 85 vice, seen from the discharge end. f

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectlonal view taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Fig.10 is a vertical sectional 4view taken on the line'10- -10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged- Afragmentary detail viewV of a portion of 2.

Fig. 12 1s an enlarge detail fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 6. The device is shown with a body conslsting of a flat horizontal base 15 connected with parallel vertical front and rear longitudinal walls 16 and- .17, respectively. Front and 11 rear longitudinal partitions 18 and 19, re-

i929. sensing. saaoos.

spectively are positioned between the Walls and are also connected with the base. A third ertical longitudinal partition 20.-connects ith the base 15 and is positioned between the partitions 18 and 19, and" near the partition 19.

One end of the body `is provided with vertical fron( and rear wall extensions 21 and 22, respectively, terminating a sulii'cient distance from the bottom of the base 15 so that a receiving truck may engage underneath. Such a receiving truck is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 7 by reference numeral 23. This end of the device may be called the discharge end.` The opposite end may be called `the supply ,end. A plurality 0f hinged doors 24 yclose both ends ofthe body.

Conveyingmeans is mounted within the body and consists of a top endless horizontal belt 25, a central endless horizontal belt 26 and a Jbottom 'endless horizontal belt 27. These belts entend the complete length of the `lbody, that is, from the supply end to thedischarge end. At the supply end, the endless belts are mounted upon wheelsr 28 having peripheral notches 29. These wheels are supported by shafts 30 which extend into the space betweenthe partitions 19 and 20. A bevel gear 31 is fixed upon the top shaft 30, another bevel gear 32 is adapted to drive the central 'shaft 30 thru gears 47 anda bottom bevel gear 33 is fixed upon the bottom shaft. The gear 31 is the largest of these three gears, 32 is of intermediate, size and 33 the smallest. These gears mesh with bevel' gears 34 all of ghe samesize and fixed upon a vertical shaft The conveying means is provided at the discharge end with shafts v 36 `supporting Wheels 28 with peripheral notches 29. These wheels serve to supportthe other ends of the endless belts. Each of the shafts 36 is mounted at each end in a pillow block 37 provided with a bottom flange 38 slidably engaged in a groove 39 formed in a bracket 40. These brackets are supported upon the wall extensions 21 and 22. A screw 41 threadedly engages a portion of the bracketand rotatively connects with the` pillow block, and the head 100 l upon the metal strips, transverse pipes 44 engaged beneath the metal strips and bolts securing these parts together. rlhe pipes 44 have extendable tapered ends 44 and are regularly spaced and are arranged at a distance for engaging in the notches 29 of the wheels 28.- This arrangement insures the moving of the endless belts when certain of the wheels 28 are rotated. The ends 44 of the transverse pipes 44 rest upon angle irons 46 attached upon the body member of the device and provided with projections 46 for causing the belts to vibrate for shuffling the macaroni, the up-turned edges prevent the falling of `the macaroni from the belts. The extendable tapered ends 44 may be adjusted for changing the tension of the belts during the vibration impulses providing for the adjustment of the strength of the impulses.

The gear 31 engages beneath its meshing gear 34 so that the endless conveyer 25 is caused tov move as indicated by arrow 49. The gear 32 engages the meshing gear 34 and drives a pair of wheels 47, causing the central conveyer to move in an opposite direction, and the gear 33 engages on the bottom of its gear 34 to cause the bottom endless conveyer to move in the same direction as the top one.

A spreading means is provided for droppinga supply of macaroni upon the top conveyer and consists of a vertical bar at the supply end of the body and pivotally supporting a hopper 51. The discharge end 52 of this hopper is directed over the top of the top endless belt 25. A crank arm 53 connects the discharge end of the hopper with a disc 54 formed integral with a gear 54 which meshes with a gear 35 secured upon the vertical shaft 35. This crank arm is eccentrically connected on the disc. Rotation of the shaft 35 will cause the hopper to pivotally move back and forth so as to distribute macaroni upon the top conveyer.

A draft means is provided in the body member for acting against the macaroni positioned upon the conveyers and consists of passages 55 between the partitions 18 and 19 and the walls 16 and 17, respectively. These passages are open at the top and communicate with the atmosphere. The partitions 18 and 19 are formed' with a plurality of apertures 56 connecting the passages 55 with the air in the vicinity of the endless belts. The partition 20 is provided with a plurality of fan apertures 57, and fans 58 are rotatively supported in these apertures. For providing the supporting arrangement, strips 59 are provided. These strips connect with the partition 20. Each of the fans 58 is provided with a shaft such as yindicated by numeral 60 and each of these shafts is provided with a pulley 61.

In operation, the passages 55 admit the warmer strata of upper air which pass between wall 17 and partition 19 and turn into apertures 56 of the partition. These aper- 4 tures admit only a lateral current of air to the fans 58, thereby avoiding cross currents of air which would occur if the partition 19 were removed. The fans drive the air from side 20 to side 18 between which the macaroni is passed. After evaporating the moisture in said macaroni, the air cools and passes thru apertures in side 18 into the passage between walls 16 and side 18 and is ejected therefrom to the upper stratum of air to be rewarmed.

The device is provided with a driving means which consists of an electric motoi 62 mounted upon the base 15 and connected by a belt 63 with amain shaft 64 rotatively mounted in the partitions 18 and 19. Aplurality of pulleys 65 are fixed upon the shaft 64 and connect with belts connected with the pulleys 61 for driving the draft fans. Another pulley 66 is fixed upon the shaft 64 and is connected with a system of belts and pulleys for driving a worm pinion 67. This worm pinion connects with a Worm gear 68 fixed upon the shaft 35.

In operation of the device, macaroni is fed into the hopper 51 and is ldischarged upon the top endless belt 25. Operation of the motor 62 is communicated for oscillating the hopper 5'1 so thatthe macaroni is distributed in a uniform fashion. The operation of the motor is also communicated for driving the endless belts so that the macaroni passes several times up and down the body of the machine. The bottom conveyer travels the fastest so that at the end of the draft system, the macaroni will be spread far apart and not likely to stick together. The bottom of the endless belts discharge the macaroni upon some container placed upon the truck 23. The screws 41 may be adjusted for changing the tension of the endless belts.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit inyself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1.Y In a machine for drying short macaroni, a body, partitions in said body, angle irons attached thereon and provided with projections and an endless belt movably mounted in the body and. consisting of exible metal strips, screen material mounted thereon and rovided with up-turned, edges, transverse plpes with extendable tapered ends attached to said strips and screen and during motion of the endless belt the tapered extensions being arranged for engaging the projections for vibrating the belt, and means for adjusting the extension of the tapered 5 member so as to control the strength of vibra- Y tion.

2. In a machine for drying short macaroni, a body, partitions in said body, an endless belt movably mounted in the' body'and 10 consisting of flexible metal strips, screen material mounted therein and provided with up-turned edges, and transverse pipes with extending tapered ends attachedA to said strips and screen, and means for enga ing .15 said tapered endsduring the motion o the endless belt for vibrating the belt. A 3f In a machine for dr ing short macaroni, a body, partitions in s ald body, angle irons attached thereon and provided with projections, andan endless belt movably mounted in the body and consisting of flexible metal strips, screen material mounted thereon and provided `With up-turned edges, and transverse pipes with extendable tapered ends at- ,25 tached to said strips and screen and during motion of the endless belt the tapered extensions being arranged for engaging the projections for vibratlngthe belt.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my 3 signature.

SALVATORE BUCARO. 

